Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/414558
10 Business Today maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2014 Air Malta assists The Malta Community Chest Fund Air Malta, together with Sky Gour- met, will be assisting The Malta Community Chest Fund during the months of November and Decem- ber. During these months, Air Malta Cabin Crew will be collecting funds onboard the airline's flights towards this cause. Joe Galea, Deputy Chief Commercial Officer said, "The national airline is proud to support The Malta Community Chest Fund once again. I believe that local organisations like Air Malta are obliged to support such initiatives that assist the Maltese society." The Malta Community Chest Fund is an organisation aimed at promoting solidarity among people living in Malta. The Fund, which is chaired by the President of Malta, supports institutions and organisations that provide financial, material and professional support to people experiencing difficulties because of severe chronic or terminal illness, including cancer, disability, poverty, unemployment or lack of resources, without any form of discrimination. The MCCF organises several annual events to raise funds. These include the Ball of the August Moon, a Fine Arts Auction, the President's Fun Run, a Piggy Bank campaign amongst schoolchildren, Rockestra, Paqpaqli għall-Istrina (an exclusive car event so popular with motor enthusiasts), the President's Bike Ride, fashion shows and l-Istrina (a marathon of 12 hours of fund- raising). This year, several other activities were organised for the first time under the new Presidency. These included il-Festa at San Anton Palace, the President's Ball in Gozo and fund-raising activities organised by associations. All these activities involve thousands of persons who willingly donate their time, money and energy to contribute to a commendable cause, and bear witness to the value of love and solidarity. This campaign also forms part of Air Malta's Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives whereby the airline supports organisations that work hard in the Maltese community. No other airline operating to Malta provides continued support to voluntary and non-governmental organisations like Air Malta. Fish landings down by 25% in third quarter It was far from a good third quarter for fishermen this year – the volume and wholesale value of fish landings decreased by 25.4 and 25.7 per cent respectively during the period. Fish landings in the third quarter amounted to 337,559 kilograms, down by 25.4 per cent over the comparative period last year. This was due to a drop in landings of most of the species, mainly swordfish (-27.6 per cent) and dorado (-26.0 per cent). Similarly, the wholesale value of fresh fish landings declined by 25.7 per cent to €2.0 million. During the period under review, Maltese fishermen landed 284,283 kilograms of the fish (-22.8 per cent), making up 84.2 per cent of total landings. The decline resulted mainly from a drop in all the species, mainly swordfish (-29.6 per cent) and dorado (-13.5 per cent). The wholesale value of fish landings by Maltese fishermen amounted to €1.7 million, a decrease of 25.4 per cent over the corresponding quarter last year. Fresh fish landings by Gozitan fishermen decreased by 36.7 per cent over the comparative period last year. This was mainly brought about by a decrease in dorado (-55.0 per cent) and swordfish (-9.5 per cent). In volume terms, Gozitan fish landings comprised 15.8 per cent of total landings, generating €298,145 in wholesale value, a drop of 27.2 per cent over the third quarter last year. The quarterly 'All Items' fresh fish price index for the third quarter stood at 108.62 points, reflecting a decrease of 3.52 points (-3.1 per cent) over the comparative period in 2013. The decrease in the supply of fresh fish was reflected in the quarterly 'All Items' fresh fish volume index, which stood at 103.60 points, down by 35.24 points or 25.4 per cent over the third quarter of 2013. More cruise liner passengers expected next year 525,000 cruise liner passengers are expected to visit Malta in 2015 during 270 cruise calls, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said – an increase of 15,000 pas- sengers on the 510,000 cruise liner passengers who are expected to have visited Malta during 269 cruise calls by the end of this year. He was speaking at the launch of the MSC Cruises 2015 brochure before the opening of the Hamilton Cruise Fair on 14 November. Zammit Lewis said that 24 MSC ships will call at Malta in 2015, including the MSC Armonia, MSC Divina, MSC Poesia, MSC Musica, MSC Magnifica, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Opera. "More than 318,000 cruise liner passengers visited Malta between last January and September, which was an increase of 2.5% when compared with the same period last year," Zammit Lewis said. "During the first nine months of 2014, passengers coming from France, Austria and Germany increased by 49%, 29% and 16% respectively, when compared with the same months under review in 2013."